Rafael

Meaning and origin of Rafael

Popularity of Rafael in France since 1986

• It peaked in 2009.
• Over recent years, Rafael has been stable (−1.8% a year).
• In a school of 200 children born in those years, there would be 1.5 Rafael on average, counting the spellings that sound the same.

Rafael in English-speaking countries

Rafael ranks 198^th in England and Wales, 221^st in Ontario (Canada) and 229^th in United States, against 120^th in France.

• British Columbia (Canada)BC Vital Statistics · 2021-23

  231^st boys’ name51 babies in 3 years1 boy in 873

• Ontario (Canada)ServiceOntario · 2022-24

  221^st boys’ name176 babies in 3 years1 boy in 966+7.5% a year

• United StatesSSA · 2023-25

  229^th boys’ name4,777 babies in 3 years1 boy in 1,076+3.3% a year

• England and WalesONS · 2023-25

  198^th boys’ name754 babies in 3 years1 boy in 1,096+0.9% a year

• New ZealandDIA · 2023-25

  319^th boys’ name42 babies in 3 years1 boy in 1,173

• IrelandCSO · 2023-25

  323^rd boys’ name36 babies in 3 years1 boy in 1,995

• ScotlandNRS · 2023-25

  423^rd boys’ name23 babies in 3 years1 boy in 2,606

Rarely or never given (below the publication threshold): Northern Ireland.

Official figures from each country, over their latest three published years. The spellings Rafael, Rafaël and Rafaèl are counted together; other spellings are counted apart.

Same sound, other spellings

• Rafaël1,195
• Rafaèl5
• Raphaël10,230
• Raphael405
• Raffaele (in French)30
• Raffael (in French)25
• Raffaël (in French)20
• Raphaèl5
• Raphäel5

Births 2023–2025. At school they sound the same: this total tells you whether your child is likely to share the name.

Names similar to Rafael

• Mattéo
• Mattia
• Elias
• Ismaïl
• Youssef
• Ilyas
• Matéo
• Gianni
• Mathias
• Yanis
• Mathéo
• Samuel

See also

• →French names of Hebrew origin